Colloquium: Colloids and Surface Chemistry for Art Conservation

ABSTRACT

Works of art and artifacts that constitute our cultural heritage are subject to deterioration. Their surfaces interacting with the environment are the most prone to aging and decay; accordingly, soiling is a prime factor in the degradation of surfaces, chemical and mechanical degradation are often associated to soiling and lead to the disfigurement of a piece of art. We pioneered the synthesis and the application of several advanced systems for the consolidation and the cleaning of works of art, as hydroxides nanoparticles, microemulsions and chemical/physical gels with controlled porosity and tortuosity. Most of  these systems constitute a new platform for Conservation of Cultural Heritage and are characterized by scale lengths below 100 nm in one or more dimensions, making neutrons and x-rays the primary tool for the investigation and the tailoring of these systems to the final application. Scattering techniques played a major role in the development of new palette of nano-materials for the conservation, as microemulsions, physical and chemical gels, magnetic gels and microemulsion confined in gels. In this talk, examples from colloids and self assembled nano-systems for the consolidation, the cleaning from soil/grime or the removal of polymer coatings from pictorial surfaces will be highlighted. Calcium (magnesium, barium, strontium) hydroxide nanoparticles have been used for the consolidation of wall paintings and paper conservation, allowing the conservation of important works from western and mesoamerican art. Micellar solutions and microemulsions constitute very efficient systems for the removal of acrylic, vinyl and alkyd polymers or grime/soil. These systems (as well as neat solvents used in "traditional" conservation) can be confined into chemical and physical gels having proper nano-domains for the upload or the delivery of compounds from/to the work of art. For example, a fine control of the cleaning procedure can be obtained even for challenging cleanings as water sensitive works of art, where the cleaning can be achieved by using water confined into gels, leaving no residues on the works of art. Examples from conserved documents/paintings from Beato Angelico, Florentino Codex, Picasso, Modigliani. Lichtenstein, De Chirico, Pollock, etc. will be discussed along with possible future perspectives.

 

BIOGRAPHY

Piero Baglioni is the chair of Physical Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Florence and MIT affiliate. He was appointed as Visiting Scientist/Professor by the Department of Chemistry of the University of Houston, the Weizmann Institute, the Collège de France, and the M.I.T. He is the Director of the National Center for Nanosciences (CSGI). He is in the Editorial/Advisory Board of several International Journals including Soft Matter, RSC; Journal Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, RSC; Langmuir, American Chemical Society, etc.

He is member of several National and International Academies/Societies including the European Academy of Science, the Royal Academy of Art and Science in Göteborg, Sweden, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the International Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works, the American Chemical Society, the European Colloids and Interface Society, the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno (the oldest Academy in Italy), etc. He is also member of the scientific board of several national and international Institutions. Piero Baglioni is one of the major European contributors to the field of Soft Matter and Colloids with over 500 publications on books and largely diffused international journals. For his scientific activity he received several international recognitions, including the Rhodia Prize from the European Colloids and Interface Society (ECIS), 2002, the European Grand Prix for Innovation Awards; etc.